Process for manufacture of oil-soluble sulphonates



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s'rAras FATE HYYM E. mic, or ROSELLE, NEW JERSEY; ASSIGNOR T0 STANDARD OIL DEVELOP- *ivrnm COMPANY, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

rnocnss FOB MANUFACTURE OF OIL-SOLUBLE sunrrioivams No Drawing.

This invention relates to the manufacture of oil soluble sodium sulphonates and com prises a process of stabilizing same by the selective solvent such as a mixture of alco-v hol and water. After the extraction and separation from the oil of the solvent containing dissolved sulphonate, the same is heated to recover the solvent by distillat on, leaving a residue of crude oil soluble sodium sulphonate together with some petroleum In accordance with my method I preferably add to the crude sodium "sulphonate so obtained sufiicient sodium hydroxide to maintain a concentration therein equivalent to about 3% of the total materials present. Allowance is madefor any sodium hydroxide present. Sodium carbonate or other material which will render the medium alkaline ,may be alternatively employed.

Although 3% is thepreferred concentration, more or less may be added prov ded the crude sulphonate is 'n'aintained d; nitely alkaline throughoutzfAn aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide may be added but the introduction of any large proportion of water would render advisable a reconcentration of the mixture so. obtained.

The mixture of sulphonate and caustic is then subjected to a temperature ranging from 150 to'220 C. Time and tem erature are reciprocal and I may subject t e mixture to a temperature of about 150 C. for a period of several days or to a-temperature of about 220 C. for a shorter period, which may range from a few minutes to a few hours. I preferably employ a temperature of about 200 C. anda period of about two hours. Pressure may be applied during this stage of the operation toprevent the com- Application filed. September.%,' 1927. Serial No. 222,214

plete drying of the material, the retention of some moisture being advisable.

The sulphonate is thereafter further purified by solution in organic solvents such as strong ethyl or isopropyl alcohol, say or higher gravimetric alcoholic concentration, in which inorganic impurities are in soluble. After settling and/or filtration to eliminate inorganic impurities, the solution so obtained is evaporated for the recovery of the solvent and the production of a purified oil soluble sulphonate which may be ad-.

vantageously employed in making emulsifying oils.

The material so produced, lincomparison, with material not so prepared is characterized by superior and more uniform resistance to darkening and/or deterioration when exposed to temperatures between v and 200 C. for' a considerable-period. Among other things, the material does .not

deteriorate when dissolved in solvents and i'ecovered therefrom by the application of ieat.

As a specific example, a sample of crude sodium sulphonate was heated to 200 C. for about two hours with 3% of sodium hydroxlde. This sample was thereafter dissolved in isopropyl alcohol 88 by weight, settled and the solvent removed by distillation. The materlal was of a light amber color and 10% thereof, added to a lubricating oil distillate,

producedamaterial with excellent emulsi-' fying properties. The same material whendissolved in isopropyl alcohol, settled and recovered by evaporation of the solvent, without heating in the presence of caustic as above described, was of a dark unattractive color and although quantities ranging from 10 to.15% were added to the same character of lubricating oil, the mixtures produced had very poor emulsifying properties. It-will be understood that the foregoing description is in illustration and not in limitation; among other things, the process may be employed in the manufacture of any sulphonate of the alkametal group, in which case the heating e carried out in the presence of a carbona e or hydroxide of the particular member of the alkali metal group I chosen. Various alternative procedures may be. adopted within the scope-of the appended claims in which it is my intention I to claim broadly all novelty inherent in the invention.

I claim:

1. The method of improving the sodium salt of an oil soluble sulphonic acid derived from thetreatn'ient of petroleum oil with a sulphonating agent, which comprises subjectingr the salt to temperatures in excess of 150 C. in an alkaline medium.

2. The method of improving the sodium salt of an oil soluble sulphonic acid derived from the treatment of petroleum oil with concentrated sulphuric acid, which con1- prises subjecting the salt to temperatures between 150 and 220 C. in an alkaline medium.

The process according to claim 2, in which the alkaline medium comprises sodium hydroxide.

l. The method of improving the salt of a member of the alkali metal group with an. oil soluble sulphonic acid derived from the treatment of petroleum oil with fuming sulphuric acid or sulphuric anhydride which 5.' The method of improving the sodium salt 01' an 011 soluble sulphonic acid derived from the treatment of petroleum oil with fuming sulphuric acid, which comprises subjecting the salt to temperatures between 150 and 220 C. in an alkaline medium, thereafter dissolving the same in an organic solvent in which the sulphonatc is soluble and in which inorganic materials are diflicultly soluble, sqparating the solution so produced from insoluble materials and evaporating the organic solvent.

6. The method according to claim 5 in which the salt is subjected to a temperature of about 200 1*. for about two hours.

HYYM E. BUG. 

